Travel Tips for Great Falls, MT: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great Falls Wikitravel Website:http://wikitravel.org/en/Great_Falls_(Montana) Glacier National Park Wikitravel Website:http://wikitravel.org/en/Glacier_National_Park
Mike Summers - September 2012:
My wife and I took advantage of our seasonal service to Great Falls, Montana to visit Glacier National Park. As of this writing, our flights go out and back on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Great Falls has a nice little international airport just south of town. Most major rental car companies have a desk at the airport. We rented through Thrifty. Once we headed out from the airport, we headed north on Interstate 15. It's about a two and a half to three hour drive to Glacier National Park via I-15 north, Montana Highway 44 west, and US Highway 89 north to St.Mary, MT where you enter the park and drive along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. One caution: there are very few food choices once you leave Great Falls on your drive. The few choices are a Subway in Conrad on I-15, the Panther Cafe in Valier on MT 44, or a Taco Johns and a Subway in Browning on US 89. We did the trip by flying out on a Saturday and flying back to Denver on Sunday. You could easily fly out on Thursday and fly back on Saturday or Sunday and make it a two-night stay by spending the first night in Kalispell, MT on the west side of the park and the second night in Great Falls. Glacier National Park (Websites: http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_National_Park_(U.S.) ) is within the US. If you want to visit neighboring Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada, don't forget your Passport (Websites: http://www.watertonpark.com/ and http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/index.aspx ). Once you drive through Glacier Park, you'll find yourself in Kalispell, MT. If you want to eat or spend the night in Kalispell here's some websites for help: http://discoverkalispell.com/ and http://local.search.yahoo.com/search?p=restaurants&addr=Kalispell%2CMT and http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-477364-kalispell_hotels-i ). Instead of staying in Kalispell, we headed back to Great Falls where there are many hotels to choose from (Website: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-477359-great_falls_vacations-i ). We booked our hotel through hotels.com (Website: http://www.hotels.com/ ). Nightlife in Great Falls is not abundant, but we did find two places that we enjoyed. For a nice dinner we went to Bert and Ernies in downtown Great Falls (Website: http://bertandernies.com/Bert_%26_Ernies/Main.html ). Nice atmosphere, live music, great food, and efficient service made this a nice stop. Another restaurant nearby is the Breaks Ale House. We didn't stop in, but it looked busy from the outside. The best websites that I could find are here: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/greatfalls/D60590.html and http://restaurants.uptake.com/montana/great_falls/the_breaks_ale_house_grill_16944656.html . After dinner we visited a funky piano bar with a mermaid that swims in a tank/pool behind the bartender. I would call it a must-see. It's called the Sip n Dip (websites: http://www.yelp.com/biz/sip-n-dip-lounge-great-falls and http://www.ohairemotorinn.com/?p=sip-n-dip ). It's located in the O'Haire Motor Inn. Just walk in the "Regsitration" door of the Motor Inn and go up the stairs to the Sip n Dip! Piano Pat has been playing there for 42 years. She is an institution. She plays Wednesday through Saturday from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM. The Frontier flight leaves GTF at 10:30 AM. When we were there, TSA security didn't open until 9:15 AM. Still plenty of time to make our flight home!
Enjoy!
Mike Summers
Art Vogt - September 2012:
The scenery is wonderful and magic (flora & wildlife). Fastest way to get there is to
fly into Great Falls, MT (138 miles to East Entrance); also the Glacier Park Lodge (Website: http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/glacier_parklodge.php )
is there and you're close to Prince of Wales Hotel (Website: http://glacierparkinc.com/prince_of_wales.php ) where you can get High Tea and think about Graham. You, of course, will need a Passport to get into canook-land. The Lodge opens May 27 and closes September 25;
something about snow.
Another great place to stay is Many Glacier Hotel (Website: http://glacierparkinc.com/many_glacier_hotel.php ) with eats in the Swiss Lounge (Website: http://glacierparkinc.com/dining.php ). Reservations are tight. Plan ahead. We, not being too smart, flew into Spokane and rented a car. Drove to West Glacier Park Entrance about 273 miles, but great lookin' countryside. Stayed at the Belton Chalet for a "romantic" getaway (Website: http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/glacier_beltonchalet.php ), whatever that is (I hope my friend doesn't read this). It's just outside the West Entrance. Don't miss Going-to-the-Sun road (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going-to-the-Sun_Road ) built between 1921 and 1932. Don't stop to have your picture taken by your partner since she will have you step back a few feet to focus and will get your life insurance.
This actually happened to an elderly couple!
Enjoy!
Art the Cart
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Great Falls Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Great_Falls_(Montana)
Glacier National Park Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Glacier_National_Park
Mike Summers - September 2012:
My wife and I took advantage of our seasonal service to Great Falls, Montana to visit Glacier National Park. As of this writing, our flights go out and back on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Great Falls has a nice little international airport just south of town. Most major rental car companies have a desk at the airport. We rented through Thrifty. Once we headed out from the airport, we headed north on Interstate 15. It's about a two and a half to three hour drive to Glacier National Park via I-15 north, Montana Highway 44 west, and US Highway 89 north to St.Mary, MT where you enter the park and drive along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. One caution: there are very few food choices once you leave Great Falls on your drive. The few choices are a Subway in Conrad on I-15, the Panther Cafe in Valier on MT 44, or a Taco Johns and a Subway in Browning on US 89. We did the trip by flying out on a Saturday and flying back to Denver on Sunday. You could easily fly out on Thursday and fly back on Saturday or Sunday and make it a two-night stay by spending the first night in Kalispell, MT on the west side of the park and the second night in Great Falls. Glacier National Park (Websites: http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_National_Park_(U.S.) ) is within the US. If you want to visit neighboring Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada, don't forget your Passport (Websites: http://www.watertonpark.com/ and http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/waterton/index.aspx ). Once you drive through Glacier Park, you'll find yourself in Kalispell, MT. If you want to eat or spend the night in Kalispell here's some websites for help: http://discoverkalispell.com/ and http://local.search.yahoo.com/search?p=restaurants&addr=Kalispell%2CMT and http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-477364-kalispell_hotels-i ). Instead of staying in Kalispell, we headed back to Great Falls where there are many hotels to choose from (Website: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-477359-great_falls_vacations-i ). We booked our hotel through hotels.com (Website: http://www.hotels.com/ ). Nightlife in Great Falls is not abundant, but we did find two places that we enjoyed. For a nice dinner we went to Bert and Ernies in downtown Great Falls (Website: http://bertandernies.com/Bert_%26_Ernies/Main.html ). Nice atmosphere, live music, great food, and efficient service made this a nice stop. Another restaurant nearby is the Breaks Ale House. We didn't stop in, but it looked busy from the outside. The best websites that I could find are here:
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/greatfalls/D60590.html and
http://restaurants.uptake.com/montana/great_falls/the_breaks_ale_house_grill_16944656.html . After dinner we visited a funky piano bar with a mermaid that swims in a tank/pool behind the bartender. I would call it a must-see. It's called the Sip n Dip (websites:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sip-n-dip-lounge-great-falls and http://www.ohairemotorinn.com/?p=sip-n-dip ). It's located in the O'Haire Motor Inn. Just walk in the "Regsitration" door of the Motor Inn and go up the stairs to the Sip n Dip! Piano Pat has been playing there for 42 years. She is an institution. She plays Wednesday through Saturday from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM. The Frontier flight leaves GTF at 10:30 AM. When we were there, TSA security didn't open until 9:15 AM. Still plenty of time to make our flight home!
Enjoy!
Mike Summers
Art Vogt - September 2012:
The scenery is wonderful and magic (flora & wildlife). Fastest way to get there is to
fly into Great Falls, MT (138 miles to East Entrance); also the Glacier Park Lodge (Website: http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/glacier_parklodge.php )
is there and you're close to Prince of Wales Hotel (Website: http://glacierparkinc.com/prince_of_wales.php ) where you can get High Tea and think about Graham. You, of course, will need a Passport to get into canook-land. The Lodge opens May 27 and closes September 25;
something about snow.
Another great place to stay is Many Glacier Hotel (Website: http://glacierparkinc.com/many_glacier_hotel.php ) with eats in the Swiss Lounge (Website: http://glacierparkinc.com/dining.php ). Reservations are tight. Plan ahead. We, not being too smart, flew into Spokane and rented a car. Drove to West Glacier Park Entrance about 273 miles, but great lookin' countryside. Stayed at the Belton Chalet for a "romantic" getaway (Website: http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/glacier_beltonchalet.php ), whatever that is (I hope my friend doesn't read this). It's just outside the West Entrance. Don't miss Going-to-the-Sun road (Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going-to-the-Sun_Road ) built between 1921 and 1932. Don't stop to have your picture taken by your partner since she will have you step back a few feet to focus and will get your life insurance.
This actually happened to an elderly couple!
Enjoy!
Art the Cart